May 20, 2013

Polka dot sun spots.

We are venturing into the land of pure Colette entertainment - 14 months old and definitely a Colette. A Colette listens to “no” with a cocked head and inquisitive eyes and pulls her hands away from the hot light bulb or the computer keyboard. Then she returns and, with a bit of agitation in her eyes, checks on your commitment to the “no.” Xavier is good at staying committed. When he echoes the same “no,” she keeps cocking her head listening, but her hands wring behind her back in an internal tug of war – her will tells her she should keep trying and her hands manifest that she knows better. Eventually, especially when it is Xavier, she distracts herself and finds another interest area to focus on. Later on, she does some follow-up reinforcement of her own: she moves toward the forbidden item and gets very close to it with her eyeballs, brings her pointer finger near her face and says, “no” “no” “no” – shaking the finger the whole way directly at the object. Sometimes she adds an emphatic, “papa” “no” “papa” “no.”

(Her hair is a continual source of tension - Xavier insists we cut it. I say, let it grow. He says she looks like a homeless baby. I say she looks like a delight).

Her down dog since she was 6 months old is one of her most charming baby larks. When she feels inspired (and it is often and anywhere), she drops into position and hangs out there upside down for a while, especially delighted when an adult’s face appears and she reaches through her legs to pet their nose.